Binding Targets To Be Included In Climate Change Legislation Criticised

Sinn Féin spokesperson on the Environment, Brian Stanley TD, has criticised the lack of binding targets to be included in the Government's Climate Change legislation, as outlined in the heads of the Bill published today by Minister Phil Hogan.

Deputy Stanley said: "While I welcome the decision at long last to proceed with legislation, the failure to set binding targets will be a fatal flaw in any legislation.


"In the absence of targets the legislation will amount to no more than aspirations. The Minister claims that we will have to abide by EU targets. If so why not include them in the Bill?

"What we need is specific targets to be set, and for that to be combined with an overall strategy for the renewable energy sector that will set out a road map for reducing our dependence on and use of imported fossil fuels.

"The absence of an overall climate change and energy policy has meant, and will continue to mean that we allow the agenda to be set by private operators, as we have seen in the case of the abandoned project to export wind generated electricity rather than utilise renewables to reduce our CO emissions, as ought to be the objective of any climate change legislation."

(CD/JP)